Japan earthquake: Powerful 6.0 magnitude quake strikes after natural disasters spark widespread destruction
Crooked signs hang over a road damaged in the January 1 earthquake in Nishiaraya, Ishikawa Prefecture
Reuters
Japan's Meteorological Agency is reporting a magnitude 6.0 earthquake has hit the central region.
The earthquake hit the area off the Sea of Japan coast.
It is the same part of the country where a huge tremor on New Year's Day and its aftershocks caused widespread destruction, with over 200 dead.
A tsunami forecast has been put in place in the Niigata Prefecture to the North West coast. However, it is not expected to exceed 0.2m in height.
Traffic cones stand along a road damaged in the January 1 earthquake in Nishiaraya, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan
Reuters
The quake on New Year's Day destroyed and toppled buildings, caused fires and knocked out infrastructure on the Noto Peninsula on Japan's main island Honshu.
Sub-zero temperatures and heavy snow and rain have hampered the delivery of aid, leaving thousands with diminishing supplies and little information.
Mudslides, boulders and cracks in the road have buried homes and blocked access routes. Those living in areas that escaped the greatest damage, such as Nishiaraya, a village of 1,000 people on the outskirts of Kanazawa, brave the snow to collect drinking water.
Nishiaraya resident Hiroe Kawabe said: "When will reconstruction begin? When will temporary housing be built? We’re not getting any information. If we can’t live here we need to think about leaving. We want information on how long it will take."
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The disaster-hit area in the city of Suzu, Ishikawa prefecture following the January 1 earthquake
Getty
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Monday that 500 people could be temporarily housed in a sports centre in Kanazawa but said more evacuation centres were needed. He said the government was also working to find hotel rooms for evacuees.
Minister of finance Shunichi Suzuki plans to expand its budget reserves for fiscal 2024/25 to support recovery from the New Year's Day earthquake.
The cabinet approved 4.74 billion yen in spending from fiscal 2023/24 reserves for such aid as water, food and heaters.
Suzuki declined to comment on the size of the addition to reserves or how it will be financed, saying only that the government is still examining the fiscal needs of quake-hit areas.
Almost 30,000 people were living in around 400 government shelters, some of which were packed and struggling to provide adequate food, water and heating.
Around 60,000 households were without running water and 15,600 had no electricity supply.
Road conditions have been worsened by days of rain that have contributed to an estimated 1,000 landslides.
Japan experiences hundreds of earthquakes every year, though most cause no damage due to strict building regulations.